crime scene investigation

There have been quite a few TV departures lately -- some more shocking than others.

Somewhere in the middle there is Laurence Fishburne's announcement that he's leaving his post at 'CSI' after only two and a half years. Fishburne, who played lead investigator Raymond Langston, replaced series star William Petersen, who started as Gil Grissom when the series premiered 11 seasons ago.

Those were some pretty big shoes to fill at the time -- and Fishburne didn't always seem too thrilled at the comparisons -- but now who will be the third person to take the job? And how will the show look with lead actress Marg Helgenberger taking a lesser role next season, too?

We've brainstormed some good men -- and one lady -- for the position. Keep reading and share your own casting thoughts in the comments.

Thus far, Fox has appeared in the first two eps this season. So there's still three left in her original contract and while it's still unknown how many more episodes she'll be in, you can probably figure on at least half the season.

That can't bode well for Sara and Gil fans. Grissom had a tough time last season without Sara around and I have a hard time believing that they'll be able to sell us a happy relationship between the two of them with Sara in Las Vegas and Gil traveling the world to give lectures.

If you didn't read this post yesterday, CSI is the bestest, most favoritist, most awesomest TV show that has ever been seen on television (chosen by viewers whose remote control has been stuck on CBS since around 1999, apparently). Last night the team investigated an old case of Catherine's because the guy in jail for 18 years might actually be innocent. Discuss the show below with fellow CSI fans. Oh, and how do you think Laurence Fishburne is doing?

As you've already heard, Dourdan was arrested the other morning for possession of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and prescription drugs. Seems that the cast and crew have been worried about Dourdan for quite some time and now want to help him even more. I guess sometimes someone has to hit rock bottom before someone intervenes.

CSI star Gary Dourdan was arrested at 5:21 AM and charged with suspected possession of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and maybe other drugs as well.

He was arrested in Palm Springs, CA when police saw him sleeping in his car early in the morning. When they got to the car and investigated further, Dourdan was arrested for the above offense. He's out on bail.

This arrest will trigger approximately 327 different jokes about the CSI gang helping him and tests being done on the car, etc. Now we just have to figure out whether he's leaving CSI (official word is that Dourdan and the studio came to an understanding on his departure) because of his drug use or (as Keith wonders) he's doing the drugs because he's leaving the show.

The day finally arrived: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fans finally know if Sara Sidle, played by Jorja Fox, survived or not. Last year's finale had the CSI team not only continue their search for the "Miniature Killer" but also for Sara, who became the killer's last victim. There was a lot of speculation over the summer surrounding Sara's fate especially since the show was doing its best to keep it a secret (fans were told they would at least see Sara under the car in the premiere but didn't say more).

I know, I know, you're thinking, "but Rory Cochrane was killed off the show!" Hey, this is television. Anything can happen.

Of course, it would help if CSI: Miami was a science fiction show. They could explain why Detective Speedle could come back from the dead by...oh, I don't know, some rejuvenation serum or time travel or robot double. But this is CSI: Miami, and it has to be realistic (even though we have David Caruso wearing suits in the humid Florida sun and never sweating). Cochrane asked to be written out of the show because he didn't want to do a weekly show. His contract said he couldn't work again in TV til 2008.

To answer your next question, no, it won't be a flashback. And Cochrane will be playing Speedle, not a twin brother. How they'll do this is anybody's guess. After the jump, anybody's guess!

It may sound a little bit like a headline from The Onion, but it's actually in the works, according to CSI producer Carol Mendelsohn.

Speaking at a Banff event in Canada earlier this week, Mendelsohn said she got a call from Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre, who suggested the switch. I'm not sure if it would be permanent, but it's something they could do for an episode or two. CSI will also go on location to San Francisco this season, and next season might go to London.

Maybe the Two and a Half Men writers can have Grissom sleep with a different woman every night, and maybe even hire a wisecracking kid to help with a murder investigation. He can be a prodigy who doesn't do well in school but is a genius at forensics.

A fan favorite returns. This was only Melinda Clarke's fourth appearance as Lady Heather on CSI, and I'm fascinated with how much they've developed her character in that short time frame. It just proves that good writing can go a long way, especially when the notion of "less is more" is kept in mind.

The episode started off quite unexpectedly, as we were reintroduced to Heather in a situation that didn't exactly jive with her own beliefs. She's a dominatrix, so why has she put herself in a submissive role? Recall what she told her late daughter Zoey in her very first appearance? Something like, give your body and heart to a man but never your power? Well now Heather is ignoring her own advice. Sounds like a good premise for an episode to me.

(S07E19) That was a pretty enjoyable episode. Pulling a move that CSI hasn't used in some time, the episode began with what seemed like two completely unrelated cases, but by the end of the episode, they were completely intertwined.

Adding to the episode was the return of Method Man, reprising his season six guest starring role as club and rap mogul Drops. The guy is a good actor. I don't care what anyone says. He brings this likability to any character he plays and Drops is no exception. He's a thug, but the whole time I still found myself rooting for him to find a way out.

However, the best part of the episode was definitely the closure Greg got from the Demetrius James case. Greg finally stood up for himself. It's about time.

(S07E17) Well it looks liked we're putting The Miniature Killer on hold for the time being... or are we? I have a theory but we'll get to that later. Instead, we got a regular, run-of-the-mill episode of CSI. The whole team working together on one case, just like the good ol' days. Pretty interesting story too. It actually reminded me a lot of that episode from the third or fourth season where the cheerleader got drugged, went a little crazy, and ended up eating pieces of flesh from her dead boyfriend's chest on a football field. Remember that one? This one felt very similar. Only difference was that this time around, cannibalism wasn't the operative "C" word. Crabs took the spotlight this time. Everyone had crabs.

(S07E16) I'm glad I got back into this show (I'm going to start reviewing it weekly in place of Numb3rs) because it's good again. After the great four episode story arc with Keppler, Grissom is back on track hunting down his latest arch-nemesis -- The Miniature Replica Killer.

They thought they had him with the death of Ernie Dell, but no. The CSI writers have crafted quite the story here, possibly one of the best multi-episode arcs this show has seen yet.

Grissom finally got around to opening the large cardboard box that was delivered to his office right before he left on sabbatical. We knew what was inside of it though since we got a sneak peek right before he left. It's another replica. The only problem? The murder hadn't occurred... yet.

"When you go to Miami, watch your step. Because every move you make could be your last."

That's a line from the commercial that's been running all week for tonight's CSI: Miami. How does the city of Miami feel about this? It's probably great publicity when your city is not only the setting for the most popular TV show in the universe but the name of the city is actually in the title. But what an odd type of publicity.

Basically, the ad is saying "hey, you might want to come to the city, but you better give it a second thought or you might, you know, die." Sure, I know the show is about murder and the solving of various crimes (mostly, um, murder), but imagine Las Vegas having an ad that said "you might want to come to Las Vegas, but watch out: you'll lose all your money and might be approached by a hooker." Or how about an ad for It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia that said "if you think it's always sunny here, think again. Sometimes it rains, and you might just get raped."

CBS finally got around to doing something about that lingering question, "who is Keppler?" Up until a few days ago, the promotional website meant to inform viewers about the CSI cast change has been pretty bare, save for a cool picture.

The site is now fully running and even has some video clips giving viewers clues about what to expect. There are three clips posted right now and I would expect a couple more before Liev Schreiber makes his entrance in next week's first sans GrissomCSI, "Sweet Jane."

For those looking to be spoiled, read on and I'll tell you what I gathered from the three clips. Looks like Keppler might actually be worth looking forward to.

(S07E11) This was an incredibly frustrating episode. As much as I love this show, episodes like this are why I don't review it weekly like I do CSI: Miami. At least with Caruso and the Miami crew, I know what I'm getting week in and week out: a cheesy, campy, and thoroughly enjoyable over the top soap opera. With CSI, it's far too often a crap shoot. And that's lousy because I expect this show to be good. Where did CBS get off telling viewers that this would be "an hour of television we'd never forget?"